DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORS 04.24.12

Happy 2nd Anniversary to our talented friends and artists at the Aviles Street Gallery. This past Sunday this happy event was celebrated by the artists and their patrons and downtown painter, Suzanne Strock and watercolorist, Zachary Havas, were welcomed as the newest members of the gallery. Be sure to stop in at the next First Friday Art Walk or during the week to see what they’re all up to at 11 Aviles Street, Suite C.

For those of you who fondly remember Faraway Places at 100 St George Street, there’s a bit of déjà vu at the same location in Suite B inside the Spanish Plaza. Womar Glass has opened a new retail shop and you’ll find a large collection of their beautiful decorative glass products. Womar used to sell their glassware at Faraway Places and we’re happy to have them back in town.

Our friend and favorite batik artist, Wendy Tatter has launched a new website and invites you to visit it at wbtatter.com. She’s starting a new batik class in May, so this is your chance to sign up as well as to find out about all her upcoming Uptown Saturday Night events.

When you live in St Augustine, everyone wants to visit you so here’s a book you should have at the ready for those occasions, “A Comprehensive Guide to Lodgings of St Augustine,” by Elsie Hedetniemi Carr and Robert Carr. Old-timers (I say that fondly, since I’m becoming one) will remember them as the first inn-keepers of the Kenwood Inn on Marine Street. To purchase a copy, visit lodgingsofstaugustine.com.

Save the dates (and there’s a lot to save):

Downtown resident, Angie Fay Ullman, is creating new work at her studio located behind Butterfield Garage on King Street. Her work includes designing, building and painting furniture, treasure boxes and other various and useful pieces. Her travels have taken her from South Dakota (that’s the tropical Dakota) to a four-year sailing stint with her family, a brief stop in Charleston and then the Virgin Islands before returning to St Augustine. Ullman will be the featured artist at Simple Gestures for the month of May with the First Friday Art Walk reception being held on May 4th. Simple Gestures is located at 4 White Street and Anastasia Boulevard.

On May 4th and 5th you can enjoy the St Augustine Ballet production of Peter and the Wolf at the Kirk Memorial Auditorium on the campus of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Info at saintaugustineballet.com.

The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival returns for its 17th year on the evening of May 4th and all day on May 5th. Friday’s events will be at the St Augustine Marina stage while Saturday will see the festival back at the St Augustine Amphitheatre. Tickets and info available at gamblerogersfest.org. Come out and support live music.

Grace Paaso wants everyone to know about the “Buy the Inch” Library Book Sale being held May 4th and 5th from 10am to 5pm at the main branch by the carousel in Davenport Park. Hardbacks and paperbacks will be priced at $1.00 per inch and there are amazing deals on VHS tapes, cassettes and audio books plus a huge selection of topics and categories of books. Members can preview the sale on Thursday from 3pm to 5pm and on Monday, May 7th all remaining books will go for half price. School and county employees must bring their id badges or paystub for a 50% discount.

If you haven’t taken one of David Nolan’s narrated tours of St Augustine, here’s your chance. Sponsored by the Citizens for the Preservation of St Augustine (CPSA), and in recognition of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “National Preservation Month,” the tour will be offered on Saturday, May 5th at 9:30am and again at noon. The tour will encompass some lesser known areas including streetcar suburbs, the last remains of Kirkside which are scattered throughout the city and other sites you should know about as well. Call Kathy Schirmacher at 808-1886 for tickets. Space is limited, so don’t dally.

Old City Life reminds you about the Orchids for Hospice event being held on Saturday, May 12th, at the Saint Augustine Yacht Club from 10am to 1pm. All proceeds benefit the Bailey Family Center for Caring and Community Hospice of Northeast Florida on the campus of Flagler Hospital. This is a wonderful event, awash in the brilliance and beauty of so many varieties of orchids. For more info please go to oldcitylife.com.

So, there you have it. The 2012 graduating class of Flagler College has left to pursue their dreams, summer is almost upon us and there’s so much to do and see and taste in this city of ours.